Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Friday urged service members to "thoroughly" prepare for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, as the country seeks to complete the second phase of assessment for the condition-based transfer this year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn's remarks came as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to achieve OPCON transfer before the end of its five-year term in 2030. In a New Year's message posted on Facebook, Ahn emphasized that the verification of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) is a critical process to ensure South Korea has the practical capabilities to lead the security on the Korean Peninsula. FOC refers to the second part of a three-stage program designed to assess Seoul's capabilities to lead the allies' combined forces for the retake of OPCON.
Ahn called on the troops to clearly recognize the national significance and generational sense of duty in the restoration of wartime operational control. He urged them to brace for the process with a unified mindset. The South Korean military aims to complete the second phase of verification by the next annual defense chiefs' meeting between the two countries, scheduled for November.